Our Roots Are Entwined

Interconnectedness

“Pull a thread here and you'll find it's connected to the rest of the world.”
Nadeem Aslam (The Wasted Vigil)

My friend, Harry, showed me an article in his Science of Mind magazine about redwood trees. Did you know that they can grow as tall as a six-story building (300 feet)? The only reason they can do that and not topple over is that they grow in groves and all their root systems are entwined. Quite literally, they hold one another up. Redwoods also have a special relationship to the west coast because of the abundance of fog. They require hundreds of gallons of water every day, and can condense the moisture from fog between their leaves, where it eventually drips to the ground and provides extra water. Furthermore, the giant Sequoia absorbs more carbon dioxide than any other tree, so it helps to clean the air by mediating exhaust from millions of California vehicles.

We live in a global village—when we pull a thread here, it affects the rest of the world. Likewise, when there is war, or famine, or natural disaster anywhere in the world, it affects us here in America. Prosperity here produces prosperity around the world, and division and rancor here affects markets and moods everywhere. When one of my neighbors neglects his yard, or piles junk in front of his house, or allows his dogs to run loose and destroy property, everyone in the neighborhood is affected. Likewise, when that same neighbor cleans up his yard, paints his house, and puts up a fence for his animals, his neighbors are grateful. Their property value is enhanced by his actions. Everything is connected.

In the same vein, behavior is contagious. When I am kind to another person, they are more likely to be kind to me and to other people they encounter throughout the day. Kindness shifts mood and mood affects everything we do. The energy of a bad, hateful mood can travel though a workplace at the speed of light. Someone who came in happy at eight o'clock, will be dark and grouchy by ten. Our energy is not only our energy, but is like a virus. It sweeps over and infects everyone around us. Today, remember that you are you, but your roots are entwined with mine, and with every other living thing on planet Earth. Let's hold one another up.

In the Spirit,
Jane